Coil package



May 15, 1951 -r, JR 2,552,594

COIL PACKAGE Filed June 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwua/wbom BENJAMIN B.SCOTT JR May 15, 1951 B. a. scoTT. JR

COIL PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1946 3mm 7 BENJAMIN B: SCOTTJR.

ar Q Ma Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES earENr OFFICE (Granted underthe act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 4Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in coil packaging, andmore particularly to packages for coils of wire and the like, such ascoils as described in my copending applications, $eria1 Numbers 674,411,674,412 and 674,413, now Patent No. 2,490,837 issued December 13, 1949and methods and means for accomplishing such packaging.

Although in the present application the invention will be described andillustrated in connection with the packaging of coils of insulatedelectrical wire, it will be understood that the invention is applicableto the packaging of many other elongated or filar materials, such asrope, twine, flexible tubular conduit for electrical wires, multipleconductor cables, uninsulated wire, flexible stranded wire rope, etc,and hence should not be deemed to be limited in its application to coilsof insulated electrical wire. In the absence of a more suitable genericterm, the word wire will be used herein to indicate such materials.

Further, the present invention will be disclosed and illustrated inconnection with coils which are pulled out from the inside, that is theinnermost turns are unwound first. However, the present invention shouldnot be deemed limited thereto as it will be obvious to those skilled inthe art that the invention set forth has a far broader application.

As used in the present application, the word coils will be used in itsbroadest sense, and will be deemed to include any and all types ofwindings of elongated materials (such as rope, wire, etc), wherein thesaid material is wound about an axis, irrespective of the geometricalshape (as spherical, cylindrical, etc.) and irrespective of the type ofwinding (as level layer wound, honeycomb, etc.) and irrespective of thepitch at which the turns are wound.

The conventional manner of paying out or laying telephone wire or thelike is to unwind it from a spool or reel which is rotated about itsaxis during the laying process. This method has a number of drawbacks,among which are the fact that it requires a certain amount of heavyequipment, namely, the reels and equipment to rotat ably sustain thereels during unwinding, thereby greatly reducing or impairingoperational scope; that friction between moving parts and the inertia ofthe reels and the wire thereon must be overcome as the wire is unwoundso that laying at high speeds is not practicable; that it usually isnoisy in operation; that continuous telephone or telegraph communicationthrough the wire during the paying out operation is not possible; andthat certain special military tactical installation requirements are notpossible at all with such equipment.

Efforts to overcome the said objectionable characteristics have resultedin attempts to wind satisfactory coils of wire having hollow centers, sothat the wire could be drawn out from the center without rotating saidcoils about their axes. This was an improvement in some respects but,prior to the invention covered in the present application and in mycopending applications aforementioned, it was found that, in the use ofsuch coils, certain other objectionable characteristics appeared. Forexample, during laying, particularly at high speeds (such as when laidfrom a motor vehicle or airplane), the wire would be lacerated andabraded and would be subiected to torsional stresses and sharp bends soas to weaken or even fracture the wire. Also the wire would come out inbunches, particularly at the end of a coil, thus resulting in snarls,knots, deformations of lay-twist, etc. As a result of the foregoing thewire might be so damaged as to be unusable for communication purposesand also the eifective length thereof might be greatly shortened.

The improvements of pretwisting, turn-toturn restraint andturn-to-package restraint, as covered in my copending applicationsmentioned above, eliminated most of these objectionable characteristics,but a suitable package for the improved coils was still required. Properpackaging is necessary or helpful to facilitate storage andtransportation of coils, and, in the" case of some coils to assist inpreventing their unintentional unwinding, and to suitably sustain themwhile they are being payed out so as not to interfere with the payingout operation, and to prevent damage to the wire or the like, and, inthe case of tandem laying, to prevent the telescoping of successivecoils.

The objects of the present invention are as follows: to provide suitablepackaging for coils of elongated material, such as wire, rope, etc.,which protects them against accidental unwinding during theirtransportation and ordinary handling, but which, nevertheless, allowsthem to be payed out, to the bitter end, at both high and low speedswithout strain or damage to the elongated material and which enables theoutermost layer thereof to be sustained so as to prevent the collapsethereof; to provide packages which expedite the laying of the coilsthereof in tandem; to provide packages for coils which are light inweight and small in volume; to provide packages for coils which areinexpensive and easy to fabricate; to provide packages for cells inwhich the openings through which they are payed out are automaticallyself-adjusting, or manually adjustable, so as to produce opening sizessuitable to the speed and manner at which the coils may be payed out;and to provide a package for coils of wire, and the like, which are soversatile as to be suited to laying by plane, motor vehicle, boat, packanimal, a man on foot, etc.

These and other objects and advantages of my present invention, will bebetter understood as the detailed description thereof progresses.

In the accompanying specification there are described, and in theannexed drawings illustrated, What are at present considered preferredembodiments of my invention. It is however to be understood that thesaid invention is not to be limited to said embodiments inasmuch aschanges may be made without the exercise or" invention and within thetrue spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of packageembodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged left end View of the package of Figure 1, partlybroken away and sectioned along the line 2-4 thereof;

Figure 3 is a right side elevation of the package of Figure 2, partlybroken away and partly sectioned to show the inside constructionthereof;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of package, whereinthe pay out opening may be adjusted to the speed and conditions underwhich the coil is to be payed out;

Figure 5 is a perspective View, shown before.

being payed out, of another modified form of package embodying thepresent invention, wherein the pay-out opening is self-adjusting;

Figure 6 is a perspective view, during pay-out, of the package of Figure5, illustrating how the opening is automatically self-adjusted; and

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a reusable form of package which maybe used alone or in combination with packages of the type shown inFigures 5 and 6.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3thereof, a package embodying the present invention is there shown inconnection with a coil ll of electrical communication wire. The packageitself includes two end members I 3, each of which is a fiat ring ofplywood or the like which has a relatively small dimension in a radialdirection so that the pay-out aperture l5 therethrough is of as large asize as possible. One of said end members I3 is provided with oneradially disposed slot IE5 cut into its inner surface to accommodate theoutermost end [8 of the wire ll of thecoil H.

The peripheral edge of the aperture l5 through said end member i3 shouldpreferably be rounded and smooth so as to offer as little frictionalresistance as possible, to the wire I? of the coil II when it is beingpayed out, innermost end 29 first. If the inside diameter of saidaperture 15 is sufficiently large and the wire I? is payed outsubstantially perpendicularly to said end member I3, the wire and endmember should never actually come in contact with each other so that nodamage to the wire should occur. Also, if the coil is to be payed outonly all low 4 speeds, then damaging friction will not occur and theaperture i5 need not be so large.

The two end members I3 ar joined together by a tubular wall IQ of sheetmetal or the like, which may be secured to the end members l3 inanysuitable way as by a plurality of tacks 2i. Said tubular wall !9 shouldpreferably be sufiiciently stiff against longitudinal compression so asto prevent longitudinal telescoping of a plurality of the packages inthe event that they are payed out in tandem (such as described morespecifically in my copending application, Serial Number 674,413).

Inside the tubular wall [9 is a cylindrical liner 23 of a material whichmay be suitably cemented to the outer layer of turns of the coil H. Saidliner 23 should be stiff enough so that it will not collapse inwardlyduring the laying operation, but nevertheless should have someflexibility so that it may conform to minor irregularities in thecontour of the outer layer of the coil H so that it can be bonded to thesaid outer layer. I prefer half-corrugated cardboard for the liner 23,the corrugations running parallel to the axis of the coil il. However,other suitable substances may be substituted for the half-corrugatedcardboard. The said liner 23 should make a snug fit about the outermostlayer of the coil Ii and should be secured thereto by a suitableadhesive means. I wind Scotch tape 25, with its adhesive surface facinginwardly, tightly around the outer cylindrical surface of the coil l i,then cover the outer, or back, surface of the Scotch tape with anysuitable adhesive and then wrap the liner 23 tightly about said Scotchtape. By half-corrugated cardboard I mean that type which is made up ofone flat sheet 26 and one corrugated sheet 28 secured to one surfacethereof. Thus it may be flexed about an axis parallel to thecorrugations, but not about an axis perpendicular thereto. I paste thesaid half-corrugated cardboard with its corrugated sheet 28 facinginwardly to said Scotch tape 25.

The modified package shown in Figure 4 is similar to the package alreadydescribed (Fig ures 1-3) except that each end member comprises an outerend ring 29, pierced by a relatively large pay-out aperture t ll,similar tothe end member it already described above, and an inner endring 3!, pierced by a relatively small pay-out aperture 32, which innerring 3| nests in the aperture 39 of said outer end ring-29.

Said rings 29, 3! may be held together by any suitable means, as by themetal straps 33 which are set into the rings 29, 3! so as to be flushwith the outer surfaces thereof and are fastened to both of said rings.The inner peripheries of both the apertures 39, 32 should preferably berounded and smooth. Both of the end rings 29, M at one end of thepackage should be provided with a radially disposed slot (not'shown), asthe slot [6 described above (see Figure 3).

The modified form of package shown in Figures 5 and 6 is similar to thecylindrical packages as used for breakfast cereals and the like, in thatthe tubular cover 39 is preferably made of cardboard and the circularend caps 4| are made of a suitable, easily torn or friable material,such as cardboard or preferably paper of the blotting paper type.ggcured in any suitable way to the tubular cover Each end cap AI isprovided with a small Said end caps 41 may be may be payed out. A liner23, as already described above, should preferably be installed withinthe tubular cover 39 of the modified form of package shown in Figures 5and 6.

The forms of package already described (Figures 1-6) are of the typewhich may be used once and then discarded. However, for certain uses, itis advisable to have a permanent, reusable type, container (Figure 7)which may be used over and over again, the coils I I being sup pliedwith any light packaging means (such as the package of Figures 5 and 6)and then installed in said permanent container, soas to be suitable fortandem or any other type of laying.

The reusable container or package illustrated in Figure 7 comprises atubular cover 41, of metal or the like, and a pair of end plates 49 ofmetal or the like. Each end plate 49 comprises a flat ring 50, the outerperiphery of which is bent over to form a tubular flange 52 of a size tofit snugly over one end of the tubular cover 4?. The end plates 49 aresecured to the tubular cover 4! by means of several catches 5| of anyconventional type. The inner edge of the pay-out aperture 53 of each endplate 49 should preferably be rounded and smooth to prevent damage tothe wire I! of a coil II.

In the use of the first form of the present invention (Figures 1-3) theinnermost end 20 of the wire I1 leading from the innermost layer of thecoil II is pulled out through the aperture I5 in one of the end membersIt and said wire I] is then payed out, preferably in a direction alignedwith the axis of the package and the coil I I. The said aperture shouldpreferably be as large as possible, the radical thickness of said endmember I3 being merely sufficient to give said end member suflicientstructural strength to hold the I tubular wall I!) in place and protectthe coil II against blows to which it may be subjected in ordinaryhandling and to also prevent telescoping of the packages in the eventthat several of the coils II are laid in tandem (as described in mycopending application, Serial Number 674,413).

If the aperture I5 in the end member I 3 is large, the wire I'I shouldfeed out Without touching it. However, toward the latter part of theunwinding operation, as the outermost layers of the coil II are beingunwound, the larger the aperture I5 the less the possibility of the wireI! hitting or rubbing against the edge of said aperture while beingpayed out. Said edge is preferably rounded and smooth so as to preventany damage to the wire ll. even should contact therewith be made.

Ideally, the aperture I5 through which the coil I I is fed out should beas large as possible. However, as a practical matter, it has been foundthat, during the paying out operation, the wire I! will feed out fairlyclose to the axis of the coil I I and hence no damage will be done ifthe size of the aperture I5 is reduced to some extent.

In reducing the aperture, a greater measure of protection is given tothe coil I I during transportation and handling preparatory to actuallylaying the wire. If too much of the coil I I is exposed through a largeraperture I5 in the end member I3, there is a greater likelihood thatsomething may strike against the coil and disarrange the turns thereofso as to lead to snarls during laying. Thus it is found preferable tostrike a balance between a very large aperture I5 to avoid contactbetween the wire I! and the 1 wire I! (as shown in Figure 6).

edge thereof and a smaller aperture to protect the coil II prior tolaying.

The slot I6 on the inside of one of the end members I3 accommodates theoutermost end I8- Said end I8 is then available for communication,through the wire I'I, during the of the coil II.

being no danger of damage to the wire I! while being payed out, becauseof the low speed. However, if high speed operation is required, as wherethe wire I1 is to be payed out from an airplane, for instance at speedsof miles an hour, a larger aperture I5 is advisable.

A modified form of coil package having an adjustable aperture is shownin Figure In the use of said package when the coil II is being laid atslow speed, the package is used as shown, the inner ring 3| beingretained in place. However, when said coil I I is used in high speedlaying (as for instance in tandem laying from an airplane as shown in myPatent 2,490,837), the inner ring 3| may be removed by removing themetal straps 33, thereby enlarging the opening to a size moresatisfactory for high speed laying.

The modified form of package shown in Figures 5 and 6 is adapted to formthe size of payout aperture which is best suited to the particularconditions and speed of paying out the wire I'!. Here the package ismade with a relatively small pay-cut aperture 43 which preferably shouldbe of approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the centralcavity of the coil II. Then the end caps 4| completely cover the ends ofthe coil I I and protect the turns thereof from being dislodged fromtheir respective positions during transportation or handling. However,during the laying of a coil I I from such a package, should the wire I!strike against the edge of the pay-out aperture 43, it will tear thematerial of the end cap 4i so as to enlarge said aperture. Thus the saidaperture 43 will be enlarged to the extent requisite for satisfactorypaying out of the No damage is done to the wire ll in striking againstthe blotting paper or other similar material of the end caps 4|.

The package shown in Figure 7 is of a type to suit certain specialconditions where reduced weight and bulk of equipment is of paramountimportance. Then a coil II should preferably be packaged in as light apackage as possible. For instance, it may be packaged only by wrappingit in Scotch tape 25 and a half-corrugated cardboard liner 23 (asdescribed above and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3), or it may bepackaged in the package of Figures 5 and 6, or some similar lightweightpaper package.

The coil II with or without the lightweight package (dependent upon theparticular type used) may then be inserted into the container of Figure'7 for paying out. Said container suitably protects it against blowswhich it might receive as a result of rough handling but still allowsthe wire i! to he out as in the other packages already described. Thepay-out apertures in the end plates 49 may be of a fixed size, if thespeed and conditions of laying are determinable in advance, or it may bemade up of several concentric. rings: similar to: the modified. formshown in Figure 4. ihe container of Figure '7 has sufi'icientlongitudinal strength to allow laying in tandem and to prevent thetelescoping of successive packages. Said container may be opened up and.used over and over again to pay out additional coils .11. Thus aplurality of coils ll, packaged for least weight and: bulk, may be payedout by the use of one of the containers of Figure '3 It should beunderstood that, as explained hereinabove', an ideal package will haveas large a pay-out aperture as possible. However, this is only practicalif the turns of the coil, particularly at the ends thereof, are suitablyprevented from spilling out or unwinding prematurely and if the ends ofthe coil will not be subjected to blows which may displace turns of wireso as to cause the coil, subsequently, to pay out with snarls, knots,etc. The turns may be prevented from spilling out or becoming easilydisarranged by means of a suitable turn-to-turn restraint (as isdisclosed at length in my copending application, Serial Number 674,411).If in a particular coil, turn-to-turn restraint is not used, or is usedfor very slight restraint, or there is any likelihood for any otherreason that, during transportation or handling in preparation forlaying, etc., the wire may spill out or the turns may be upset, it isadvisable, where a large payout aperture is provided in the package, toalso provide additional protection, such as a sheet of tearable orfriable material (as the end member 41, of blotting paper or the like,of Figures and 6) which will provide sufiicient protection for the coil,but will nevertheless not interfere with the paying out thereof.

While there have been described what are at present considered preferredembodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart that many changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the invention, and it is aimed in the appended claims tocover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of the inventi'on.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a coil of wire provided with a hollow center fromwhich it may be uncoiled, a

tubular wall encircling said coil, a circular end member attached toeach end of said tubular wall, at least one of said end memberscomprising two 8: l concentric rings, each of said rings having acentral pay-out opening, for said wire, the inner ring being removableto permit the pay-out opening of the outer ring to be used for uncoilingsaid wire.

2. In a package for a coil of wire, a tubular wall surrounding saidcoil, two circular members secured to the ends of said wall, at leastone of said end members being provided with a payout aperture, a tubularliner within said wall and encircling said coil and making a snug fitabout the outermost layer of turns thereof, an adhesive means releasablysecuring the turns of said outer layer to the inner surface of saidliner, said liner being at least sufficiently stiff to prevent inwardcollapse thereof during the paying out of the outermost layer of turnsof said coil.

3. In a package for a coil of wire, a layer of Scotch tape encirclingthe coil with its adhesive surface in intimate contact therewith, aliner of corrugated cardboard snugly encircling the Scotch tape, anadhesive means between the outer surface of the Scotch tape and theinner surface of the liner, a substantially cylindrical containersurrounding said coil and liner, said container including a pair ofspaced coaxially disposed end members and a tubular wall joining saidend members and encircling the liner, at least one of said end membersbeing pierced by a payout aperture.

4. In a package as defined in claim 3, wherein at least one of said endmembers is provided with a substantialy radially disposed slotreceivable to the outermost end of the wire of the coil.

BENJAMIN B. SCOTT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 460,745 Duchemin Oct. 6, 1891521,080 Bates June 5, 1894 1,029,094 Ulmann June 11, 1912 1,809,029Fulcher June 9, 1931 1,887,184 Osborn Nov. 8, 1932 1,889,011 BaumhuterNov. 29, 1932' 2,035,930 Strong Mar. 31, 1936 2,133,122 Swain Oct. 11,1938 2,186,981 MacKinnon Jan. 16, 1940

